▲ Ships floating in the Strait of Hormuz
CNN reported, citing U.S. military sources, that 40 merchant ships carrying 18 million barrels of crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 1st, local time, under the escort of the U.S. military.
CNN evaluated that this not only approaches the pre-war daily average of 20 million barrels of crude oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz, but is also the largest daily passage volume since the war.
Gulf oil-producing countries are operating "shuttle ships" that load crude oil in the Gulf (Persian Gulf) at the risk of being attacked by Iran, secretly slip out of the Strait of Hormuz, and transship the crude to oil tankers outside the strait.
All 40 ships that passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 1st also sailed with their tracking devices turned off.
These shuttle ships are playing a vital role in breathing new life into the crude oil exports of these oil-producing countries, which had been suspended for months as the Strait of Hormuz was blockaded due to the war.
U.S. military sources explained that to protect the shuttle ships, they mobilized air, maritime, and space assets to defend against Iranian drones and cruise missiles, while striking Iranian air bases, radars, naval resources, mine-laying capabilities, and communication bases around the strait.
A source reported that the U.S. military also neutralized an anti-ship cruise missile fired by Iran during the escort operation on the 1st.
When the United States went to war with Iran in February of this year, the stated justification was the elimination of its nuclear program, but as the war prolonged, the focus shifted to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a maritime blockade against Iran.
A U.S. military source told CNN, "Since Iran has shown that it can rebuild its forces during recent combat pauses, continuous management is necessary," adding, "The U.S. military's continued strikes near the strait can be seen as 'weed-whacking' or 'whack-a-mole' to weaken Iran's ability to threaten merchant ships."
The explanation is that with the possibility of normalizing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz via negotiations growing slim, and with Iran firmly holding onto control of the strait, the realistic choice for the U.S. is to neutralize Iran's ability to attack merchant ships as much as possible.
U.S. President Donald Trump also claimed on the 2nd that recent U.S. airstrikes were intended to eliminate Iran's ability to track ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that the U.S. holds control over the strait.
While the assessment has emerged that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was more powerful a leverage for Iran than nuclear weapons and highly effective, the U.S. is refuting this by citing the increase in crude oil passage volume.
However, CNN pointed out that despite the intensive U.S. efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, "complete control" has not been proven, and strong skepticism from industry insiders and analysts persists.
It reported that while the operation on the 1st was successful, officials do not delude themselves into thinking that a resolution is imminent, and energy companies remain wary of the massive risks they must assume when sending vessels into the strait even under U.S. military escort.
An industry insider told CNN, "It is fair to say that the U.S. government has not secured trust," and added, "Even if it is true that daily crude oil transport has surged, nobody thinks the average volume is at that level."
Be that as it may for crude oil, other energy cargo—such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, which carry a high risk of explosion if hit—remain extremely reluctant to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
CNN commented, "Some U.S. officials acknowledge that it will take time and patience to convince the shipping industry that passage is safe," and added, "The U.S. military must also consistently provide escorts like the one on the 1st."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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